Special, unadjuvanted vaccine to protect pregnant women from the H1N1 flu will be distributed today to obstetricians and midwives on southern and central Vancouver Island.

Dr. Charmaine Enns, public health officer with the Vancouver Island Health Authority, said the north Island supply should arrive Thursday. It will not be distributed widely through special public immunization clinics, but instead through pregnant women's own caregivers.

Enns said the normal adjuvanted vaccine comes with a compound of water, fish oil and vitamin E that boosts a body's immune response. The unadjuvanted vaccine doesn't contain the immunity-boosting compound, containing instead more dead viral material.

She said medical opinion holds that both vaccines are safe for pregnant women. But the adjuvant, which has been widely used with other vaccines, has not been commonly deployed with a flu vaccine.

So a decision was made to offer the unadjuvanted vaccine to women in their 20th week of pregnancy.

"What we want to do is give pregnant women the choice," said Enns.

She also said pregnant women, especially those in the latter stages of their term, have shown to be one of the groups most at risk of complications from H1N1.

So it is hoped all pregnant women who want the vaccine will get immunized.

Meanwhile, vaccination clinics continued yesterday at the Hillside Centre and the Church of Latter Day Saints at 701 Mann Ave. but only for pregnant women, children, six months to five years, people younger than 65 with underlying health conditions, certain health care workers, and household contacts of infants under six months or of those with depleted immune systems.

Dr. Perry Kendall, chief medical health officer for B.C., said he expects some clinics in the province to shut down this week as health regions run out of vaccine.

But next week, it's expected the province will distribute an additional 250,000 doses, enabling health authorities to broaden the list of those eligible for the vaccine.

To date, about 20 per cent of the province's population has been immunized, about the same achieved during a normal seasonal flu campaign.

Kendall said he hopes by the end of this week, all pregnant women in the province who want to be vaccinated should have received their shot.

A small amount of the unadjuvanted vaccine will be held back for those who become pregnant in the coming weeks or those who refuse it now but change their minds later.

Kendall said all health regions have shown signs of stress because of the H1N1 pandemic, but all are coping.

Tracking of indicators, such as patients in intensive care or on ventilators, "does not show a system that is overwhelmed," said Kendall.

"It shows a system that is responding well to pressure," he said.

rwatts@tc.canwest.com

ISLAND FLU-SHOT CLINICS

H1N1 flu shots are being given this week only to people in certain high-risk groups, including:

- people under age 65 with chronic health conditions, such as asthma and diabetes

- pregnant women

- people living in rural and isolated settings

- children between six months and five years old

- some health-care workers

- people in household contact with infants less than six months old

- people in household contact with persons who have compromised immune systems.

TODAY

Saanich: Latter Day Saints Church (gym), 701 Mann Ave. 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Victoria: FULLY BOOKED. Hillside Centre, Zellers Wing, 1644 Hillside Ave. 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. By appointment: Visit the Hillside Centre customer service desk (by food court) to get your appointment ticket. Please do not phone Hillside Centre for this.

Campbell River: St. Patrick's Church, 34 S. Alder St., 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Comox: Comox Recreation Centre, 1855 Noel Ave., 12:30-3:30 p.m.

TOMORROW

No clinics scheduled for Remembrance Day.